James parish



ai'teitstrs getest titre.

JAMES PARISH, OF UHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOEIMSELF AND JOSEPH CREOTE, OE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 72,671, dated December .24, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRAGIIOOKS.

TO ALL WIIOM IT' MAYy CONGERN:

Be it known that I, JAMES PARISH, of Chicago, in the State of Illinois, have invented a new, improved, and useful Grapnel or Drag-Hook; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ot' the eonstructionand operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1. is a top view, having a portion cut away.

Figure 2 a perspective view.

Like letters refer to Vlike parts in both igures. A

v The object of my invention is to provide aigrapnel or 'drag-hook, to be used in recovering anchors, chains, and other articles lost in the waters, which will in user'etan its upright position, which will be drawn into the sand, which usually accumulates over lost-articles, downto the hard bottom on which the article lost rests, and also to so construct my gr'apnel that the depth to which it will enter the sand and earth can be readily adjusted and regulated. i l

To enable oth-ers skilled in the art to make and use my grapnel, I proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I make my grapnel or drag-hook of iron chiefly, and in the form of an anchor, A being the shank, B the dukes, b the point.4 The shank A. may be about four and a halt` feet long, three inches wide, and one and a halt inch thick, and I usually make the edges square. The ukes B are made broad, with edges somewhat sharp, so that it can bemore easily drawn through sand and other earthy deposit. The points b aremade of steel, the outer surface being somewhat convex. I make the lukes B of such shape that their outer line forms a half circle. At g I attach two broad guards or oats, C, to the shank A loosely, by means of a pin, or in any other suitable manner. These guards or iloats are notched at one end, as shown at f, while the other end is cut, as

shown, to permit the guard to pass over the ukes B. In the dukes B is a series of holes, a, in which, a. pin

may be used for the purpose of regulating `the position of the guards. By means of these guards the depth to which the fluke enters the sand can he easily regulated, the broad surface of the guard preventing it from passing much below the surface of thev sand. By removing the guards, more than half the grapnel will be drawn into the sand in use. Through vthe shank A, and a short distance from the end, I pass an iron rod, c, about four and a half feet long and one and a quarter inch in diameter, the hole through which it passes being somewhatlarger than the rod c, and allowing it to move freely. On each arm cf this rod I place a roller, I), being about eight inches in diameter at the outer end, and somewhat smaller at the other end. These, must be made so as to revolve readily on the rod c', and should have a little ylateral motion. They may be made of wood, properly bound with iron, andare held upon the rod c by means of a pin, or other suitable means, as desired.

These arms, constructed as described, have a double use--they keep the grapnel always in an upright position, and facilitate its passage over obstructions. The chain or rope used with the grapnel may be attached at d. At the other end of the grapnel I provide a place, e, to which I attach a rope, provided with a buoy, so that, if the grapnel becomes entangled or obstructed, it c an be readily withdrawn. i

The rod c, corresponding to the stock of an anchor, should be made of the best wrought iron, so that, if it comes in contact with an anchor or'other substance, it will not break; it may be bent in use. The outer ends of the arms D should be heavily ironed, to protect them and to give them weight.

The inner edges of the ukes B, being made sharp, render this drag-hook more eliicient than any nowin use, as their sharp edges will catch and hold in many cases, when other formsdn use would slip and be useless The points b will, from their form, easily passstones and similar obstructions against which they strike.

If 'it is desired to have the grapnel enter the sand and earth more than half way, remove the lower guard C, and, by placing -the pin, against which the guard rests, on the upper side of the. guard or float C which is left, the depth to which' the grapnel will enter the sand and earth can still be regulated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The rollers D D, in combination with the stock A, constructedA substantially as und for the purposes specied.

2. The combination of tbe guards or oats C C with the ilukes B B, constructed substantially as und for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination and arrangement of the stock A, flattened flukes B, an@ buoy-1ine shackle e, with the oats C C, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. A grapnel or drag-hook, constructed substantially as and for the purposes specified.

JAS. PARISHw Witnesses:

JOHN H. WHIPPLE, E. A. WEST. 

